And that is what worries me, though as before, I will reserve final judgement for the GT3/RS versions if/when they arrive. My late 997 C2S was very much in the spirit of the GT3 which followed it. The C2S is a focused, driver oriented, traditionally compromised sports car; and that works for me. Personally I think it's a true credit to Porsche engineering that the 991 can do the 5 Series cosseting thing and also bear a genuinely sporting side. Personally however, that simply dilutes what would otherwise be a very very exciting car. As such, for now, "I'm ooot".

Its an interesting question. I went into this fairly prejudiced about the 991. At this stage it has grown on me. not as a GT3 replacement, but as a versatile, practical car that can be dialled in to produce superb performance when you want, but that can morph back into a refined car as required. If you asked me which car I would track, it would be the RS. On the other hand, if you asked me which car would I want to to take me for a week's holiday with my wife, the 991 would win easily. I sometimes find that reviews pile onto a specific item and it seems as if its much worse than it is is reality. For example BMW's iDrive was blasted to hell, and in fact it took me 15t minutes to learn it. Equally I think the steering issue is worth discussing, but after a couple of days, I do not find myself thinking about it. RS steering is hyper communicative, and as such perfect for track, but I don't need to be engaged at that level with the car every second.

There will obviously be edgy version later, and the extra width on the front among other things should produce some formidable performers. Its very valid for those who want the really edgy cars to be a tad wary, but I am looking forward to see what they do with the 991 as it develops. As it it, it will have a much broader appeal to buyers who would not normally consider the 911, while still retaining the sportiness for those who want to use it. My prediction is that 95% of buyers will go PDK. Like Ferrari fans who bemoaned the passing of the open gate gearbox, the M fans who miss the manual on the M6, there is a wind of change blowing. I am not sure how the RS/Turbo etc will be specced, but I think the number of people who actually buy manual cars is declining very quickly. I will keep my current manual cars indefinitely, but I have had an SMG M6 for years, and have no doubt that my next Porsche will be PDK whenever that is.

The thing I do not understand is launch control. I have it on the M6 and have never used it. Nor would I on a Porsche. Its just an unnatural act for me, as I do not start from a grid position in the morning.
Running the 991 hard is still very,very satisfying, and certainly a comparison with a GT3 is taking the base car of the new generation with the least civilized version of the last. ( Most people I know outside the car community have absolutely no desire to own a GT3. Its just too noisy,harsh and generally aggressive. For people who have always tracked cars it may be a bit tame, but we are talking a tiny majority of the car buying population).

Your point is completely valid, which is why I find this week so interesting. I can't help it though....the car is growing on me

The much steeper rake of the windscreen puts a lot of space in front of you, so it does seem big initially. My experience was that I got used to it quickly. The steering and cornering are so different that its a whole new ballgame. I think there will be those who will legitimately not get it, but others who will love it. It feels like the air-cooled period again when there were very good arguments about the 993-996 transition.

One interesting question for me is how they will build the track-only versions. The road car is perfectly balanced visually with the 20" wheels which fill the arches very nicely. However, if regs require 18s I wonder how it will look.

RD - I'm really enjoying this....thank you. Keep it coming!

PF

Now., some detail shots. The interior is really very well executed and feels like a quality product, apart from my previous comments about the cheap feel of the door of the upholders, as with previous cars. My single real irritation is the reflectiveness of the dash top on the windscreen...I hope they build the 991RS with a zeoo-reflective dash as the leather has a sheen in bright sunlight.
The contrast with an RS is of course, extreme, where Porsche tried to reduce the RS to the simplicity of a monk's cell ,whereas the and to bring the 991 has a feel of being very current. One caveat for me is that the electronics will become obsolete as they have with every car I have owned since about 1998, but for now, they are great.

Seat controls are infinite with nice switch gear -seats very comfortable for long distance with adjustable side bolsters.



Dash display is very crisp, especially the electronic displays





Centre console is well organized and intuitive, though If you smoke in your car ( I never do) the ashtray is so far back on the console that you need very short arms.






Door handles quite elegant



I love the thick steering wheel, and ordered it as an option when I bought my RS.2



My RS interior

Interior is overall a delightful place to be:



My RS interior

and then of course it the sense that its too big. I am getting used to it very quickly and it does not feel big, though the RS does feel small..this is not a new thing and occurs every generation...






On the other hand, my RS.1 compared to prior generations...well....was not small:





However, its fairly light and I do not feel the car as being big when I throw it around, unlike the impression when I enter it.

That's the thing - the one criticism (for my own preference) of the 997 RSs I've driven is that they felt too big. Cayman's size and cabin feel is more to my liking. The market seems to favour sports cars with ever bigger, airier cabins. But I want to feel cacooned, part of the machine.

That's one of the great things about some classic cars. Often hard to get in and out, but boy do you feel part of the machine...

Angle of windscreen differences very obvious here:

Not quite..I tried that too. Reduces but not eliminates. However,I suppose I can try more sunglasses!....

I have a pair somewhere. WIll try. Its not a huge deal, but its the first Porsche where I have noticed this, and I do not wear sunglasses all the time. I have racked up about 1500km n the last five days is all sort of light conditions, so I do notice this.